What Not to Mix with Celery Juice? Your Essential Guide

Despite the soaring popularity of celery juice for its reported benefits, including hydration and anti-inflammatory properties, certain combinations can undermine its effects or even cause adverse reactions. Understanding what not to mix with celery juice is crucial for both safety and efficacy.

Quick Summary

Learn which medications and foods to avoid combining with celery juice to prevent negative interactions. Understand potential side effects from certain combinations and discover how following specific preparation guidelines can affect your health goals.

Key Points

• Medication Interactions: Never mix celery juice with blood thinners (like warfarin), lithium, or certain blood pressure and thyroid medications without a doctor's approval due to potential health risks.

• High-Sugar Fruits: Avoid adding high-sugar fruits like pineapple and oranges, especially if you are on a cleanse or watching your blood sugar, as they can counteract low-sugar benefits.

• Dairy Products: For those on a specific detox or cleanse protocol, refrain from mixing with dairy, as it is believed by some to interfere with the juice's purported benefits.

• Sun Sensitivity: Be cautious of sun exposure when drinking celery juice regularly, as it contains compounds that can increase your skin's sensitivity to UV light, raising the risk of sunburn.

• Digestive Comfort: Large quantities of celery juice can cause bloating or digestive upset due to its mannitol content, so it's best to start with a small serving.

• Organic is Recommended: To avoid concentrating pesticides, choose organic celery for juicing, as conventional celery is often high in residues.

Medications and Substances to Avoid

While celery juice is often celebrated as a health tonic, it contains potent compounds that can interact with certain medications and medical conditions. It is essential to consult a healthcare professional before incorporating large quantities of celery juice, especially if you take regular medication.

Blood Thinners (Anticoagulants)

Celery juice contains a significant amount of vitamin K, a nutrient that plays a crucial role in blood clotting. Individuals taking blood-thinning medications like warfarin must maintain a consistent vitamin K intake to ensure the medication works effectively. A sudden increase in vitamin K from a regular celery juice regimen could interfere with the drug's action, increasing the risk of clotting.

Lithium

Celery juice is a natural diuretic, which affects how your body processes and eliminates substances. For those on lithium medication, this can be particularly dangerous. Consuming celery juice might decrease the body's ability to excrete lithium, potentially causing lithium levels to rise to toxic levels and leading to serious side effects.

Blood Pressure Medications

Celery contains compounds that can naturally lower blood pressure. Combining celery juice with antihypertensive drugs could cause your blood pressure to drop too low, resulting in dizziness, fainting, or other complications.

Sedatives

Celery can cause drowsiness in some individuals. Mixing it with sedative medications (CNS depressants) could amplify this effect, causing excessive sleepiness and impairing concentration.

Thyroid Medication

There is some evidence to suggest that celery can interfere with thyroid function. For individuals taking thyroid medication, such as Levothyroxine, large amounts of celery juice might reduce the medication's effectiveness.

Foods and Habits That Can Inhibit Results

For many followers of specific celery juice protocols, the goal is a "pure" or "clean" juice. Mixing celery with certain foods or drinks is believed to alter its unique properties.

High-Sugar Fruits and Additives

Adding high-sugar fruits like pineapple, oranges, or excessive apple to your celery juice can counteract its purpose for those on a low-sugar diet or cleanse. While a squeeze of lemon or green apple is often tolerated, commercial juices with added sugars should be avoided entirely. Excessive sugar can spike blood glucose levels, a concern particularly for those managing blood sugar or weight.

Dairy Products

Most strict celery juice protocols advise against mixing with dairy. The combination of celery juice with milk or yogurt is often seen as counterproductive to detoxification goals, though some recipes do exist for taste. For those aiming for a specific gut-healing cleanse, dairy should be excluded entirely.

Following a "Plain Juice" Protocol

According to some proponents, such as the Medical Medium, the unique "sodium cluster salts" in pure celery juice are most effective when consumed alone. Mixing it with other ingredients is thought to neutralize or dilute these benefits. While not a medically proven fact, this perspective guides many adherents of the celery juice trend.

Consuming Immediately with Food

For maximum purported benefits, celery juice is often recommended to be consumed on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning. Waiting 15 to 30 minutes before eating or drinking anything else allows the body to absorb the nutrients without interference.

Comparison: Pure Celery Juice vs. Blends

Feature	Pure Celery Juice	Mixed Celery Juice (e.g., with apple)
Purported Benefit	Maximum potency of "cluster salts" for gut healing and detox, per some protocols.	Better taste, broader nutrient profile from other ingredients.
Palatability	Often perceived as bitter or strong.	More palatable and easier to consume for many people.
Sugar Content	Low in natural sugar.	Higher in sugar, especially with added fruits.
Effect on Fiber	Juicing removes almost all fiber.	Still low in fiber if juiced, unless blended.
Flexibility	Less flexible, follows a strict protocol.	Highly flexible, can be customized with various fruits and vegetables.
Potential Risks	Less risk of interaction with other nutrients, but higher concentration of certain compounds.	Risks tied to specific ingredient combinations (e.g., high sugar).

Other Considerations and Potential Side Effects

• Sun Sensitivity: Celery contains psoralen, which can increase skin sensitivity to UV light. High consumption can increase the risk of sunburn or rashes, especially with prolonged sun exposure.
• Digestive Issues: Celery is high in mannitol, a sugar alcohol that can cause bloating, gas, and digestive upset in some sensitive individuals, particularly with large volumes of juice.
• Organic vs. Conventional: Celery is on the "Dirty Dozen" list of produce with high pesticide residue. To minimize exposure to these chemicals, opting for organic celery, especially when juicing concentrated amounts, is highly recommended.

Conclusion

Making informed choices about what not to mix with celery juice is key to ensuring its safety and effectiveness. The most significant risks are related to medication interactions, particularly with blood thinners and lithium, necessitating a conversation with your doctor before starting. For those seeking specific cleanse benefits, avoiding high-sugar fruits and dairy may be important, depending on the protocol. Finally, consider starting with a small amount of pure celery juice to see how your body reacts and always choose organic to minimize pesticide exposure. For more detailed information on specific medication interactions, consult a reliable health resource like WebMD.

Important Reminders for Safe Celery Juice Consumption

• Consult Your Doctor: Always speak with a healthcare provider before adding celery juice to your routine, especially if you are on medication or have a pre-existing medical condition.
• Start Slowly: Introduce celery juice gradually to allow your digestive system to adjust and monitor for side effects like bloating.
• Opt for Organic: Minimize pesticide exposure by choosing organic celery, particularly when consuming concentrated juice.
• Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to any adverse reactions and stop consumption if you experience discomfort or other side effects.
• Be Mindful of Sun Exposure: Due to psoralen content, be aware of increased sun sensitivity when consuming high quantities of celery juice.

Best Practices for Celery Juice

• Use fresh, organic celery for the cleanest juice.
• Drink on an empty stomach in the morning for protocols following the "Medical Medium" approach.
• Wait at least 15-30 minutes before eating other foods to optimize nutrient absorption.
• If adding flavor, use a small amount of lemon or green apple for minimal sugar.
• Store fresh juice in a sealed glass container for no more than 24 hours to maintain potency.
• Consider blending instead of juicing to retain beneficial fiber.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I mix celery juice with lemon or lime?

Yes, adding a small amount of lemon or lime is a common practice to improve the flavor of celery juice without significantly altering its nutritional profile. However, some very strict cleanse protocols advise against any additives.

Does celery juice interact with medications?

Yes, celery juice can interact with medications such as blood thinners (due to vitamin K), lithium, blood pressure medication, and sedatives. Always consult a healthcare provider before adding it to your diet if you are on medication.

Why do some people say not to mix anything with celery juice?

Some proponents, like the Medical Medium, believe that for the juice's "healing properties" to be most potent, it must be consumed pure and on an empty stomach. This is a belief within that community rather than a universally accepted scientific rule.

Should I choose organic celery for juicing?

Yes, it is highly recommended to use organic celery, especially for juicing. Celery is known to contain high levels of pesticides in its conventional form, and juicing concentrates these compounds.

Can I mix celery juice with other vegetables?

While many green juice recipes combine celery with other vegetables like cucumber and spinach, those following a specific, pure celery juice protocol avoid all other additions. Mixing can be done for a broader nutrient intake, but it depends on your health goals.

Why am I experiencing bloating from celery juice?

Celery contains mannitol, a sugar alcohol that can cause digestive issues like bloating, gas, and diarrhea in some people when consumed in large quantities. Starting with a smaller amount can help your system adjust.

Can celery juice increase my sun sensitivity?

Yes, celery contains psoralen, a compound that can increase your skin's sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) light. Consuming high amounts of celery juice, particularly with prolonged sun exposure, can raise your risk of sunburn and dermatitis.